1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a sun visor assembly mounted to a vehicle in the center area of the headliner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a center mounted sun visor assembly having a sun visor blade that may be used both in the front and side of a vehicle and which may further move horizontally across the front of the vehicle windshield area.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of sun visors in vehicles is well known. Attached to the vehicle roof adjacent to the windshield, sun visors are made in various sizes and are made from a variety of materials. Typically sun visors are mounted on a bent arm shaft that is attached to the roof header adjacent to each side of the vehicle. The sun visor may be rotated around the bent arm shaft mounting bezel to allow use both in the front and on the side of the vehicle. However, typically even when both sun visors are positioned in the front of the windshield in a down or use position there is a portion of the windshield in the center area that is not shielded by the sun visor and therefore does not block the glare of the sun from the front seat occupants, most importantly the driver.
To overcome this limitation of the typical corner mounted pair of sun visors at least one patent teaches the use of three sun visors mounted across the front of the windshield. This however, requires the use of an additional piece of equipment, an extra assembly procedure, and added cost.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,047 issued Jun. 4, 1985 to Saxman teaches the use of three sun visors mounted across the windshield. There is no provision for horizontal movement across the windshield by any of the three sun visors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,718 issued Sep. 16, 2003 to Tiesler teaches a modular sun visor assembly utilizing a side mounted sun visor arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,799 issued Oct. 28, 2003 to Tiesler teaches another modular sun visor mounted using a side mount sun visor arm.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0160473 published Aug. 28, 2003 to Tiesler teaches yet another modular sun visor utilizing a side mounted sun visor arm.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a sun visor assembly that would allow for the use of only two sun visors and which would allow at least one of said sun visors of being capable of moving in horizontally across the windshield to allow for sun blocking in the center of the windshield.